Rocket launching system

ABSTRACT

A rocket launcher having a plurality of launcher tubes mounted within a substantially cylindrical housing. The housing is of relatively &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;thin-wall&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; construction except for the front and rear reinforced bulkheads joined by a top rib or strongback. The front and rear bulkheads are of laminated construction. The firing circuit is grounded through the intervalometer except when switched to a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;fire&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position. A stop member has been added to prevent the detent stop device from exceeding its elastic limit when blast off occurs. The rib of the rocket stop has been made extremely close to the peripheral distance between the extremities of adjacent fins to more accurately position the rockets in the tubes and a stray voltage test jack and safety switch has been added to the firing circuit.

United States Pfiififii 1 Elder et al.

[ March 6, 1973 ROCKET LAUNCHING SYSTEM [75] Inventors: Alton P. Elder, Klamath Falls, Oreg.; Vincent J. Taylor, China Lake, Calif.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy [22] Filed: June 29, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 50,516

[52] U.S. Cl. ..89/1.8l4, 89/1806, 89/l.817 [51] Int. Cl. ..F4lf 3/04 [58] Field of Search.....89/1.806, 1.807, 1.814, 1.817

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1960 Weatherhead,.lr. ..89/l.8l7 1/1961 Meier ..89/l.814

[5 7] ABSTRACT A rocket launcher having a plurality of launcher tubes mounted within a substantially cylindrical housing. The housing is of relatively thin-wall" construction except for the front and rear reinforced bulkheads joined by a top rib or strongback. The front and rear bulkheads are of laminated construction. The firing circuit is grounded through the intervalometer except when switched to a fire" position. A stop member has been added to prevent the detent stop device from exceeding its elastic limit when blast off occurs. The rib of the rocket stop has been made extremely close to the peripheral distance between the extremities of adjacent fins to more accurately position the rockets in the tubes and a stray voltage test jack and safety switch has been added to the firing circuit.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED 73 SHEET 1 BF 3 ALTON P. ELDER VlNCENT J. TAYLOR BY ROY MILLER ATTORNEY GERALD F. BAKER AGENT.

PATENTED 61975 SHEET 2 OF 3 ROCKET LAUNCIIING SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED PATENTS AND APPLICATIONS The rocket launcher according to the present invention may be better understood and evaluated in the light of U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,315,565 and 3,412,640 issued to .I. J. Nash and issued Apr. 25, 1967 and Nov. 26, 1968, respectively.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The development of airborne rocket launchers has progressed from the original one time launcher to the present more durable reuseable launcher disclosed in the patents cited above. During this period many refinements of the system have been evident and some are disclosed and claimed in the patents to Nash.

Up to the time of this invention, however, multiple round rocket launchers have suffered from a number of ills not cured by these patents. Foremost among these problems, for example, has been the hazard presented by nearby radar installations which create ambient current which can trigger rocket firing prematurely. Applicants have practically eliminated this consideration from concern by grounding the contacts through the intervalometer except when switched on to fire position. The system is, therefore, activated only for a matter of a few microseconds before use. In addition to the foregoing, a stray voltage test jack and safety switch is usually incorporated in the circuitry.

Secondly, the detent, or locking device, used in previous rocket launchers was soon rendered unuseable because at blast off the detent often was blown into a position exceeding the elastic limit of its spring and thus would not perform properly upon reuse. According to the present invention, a detent stop backs up the detent device to prevent it from exceeding its elastic limit at blast off.

Thirdly, in prior devices the rocket stop mechanism was not accurately machined to position the round sufficiently to prevent damage to the bands or fins. An improvement contemplated in the present invention, therefore, is the accurate sizing of the width of the rocket stop to just under the arcuate distance between peripheral extremities of adjacent fins to accurately position the round in the barrel of the rocket tube. The forward end of the stop has been stepped to eliminate buildup of products of combustion which would change the effective position of the stop.

Another feature of the present construction involves the forward and rearward bulkheads which form the main support members for the rocket launching tubes. In prior constructions these bulkheads have been of a certain thickness required to provide the strength necessary to hold the tubes without failure over several launchings. By using a laminated bulkhead construction, greater strength is obtained with less bulk and greater ease in punching for fabrication lessens the cost of construction. Also, the greater elasticity and flexibility of the bulkhead, as well as the unliklihood of flaws in one lamination coinciding with flaws in the other, increases the reliability of the system.

Finally, the bulkheads are hung from the rib or strongback along the top of the launcher and provide the sole support of the launcher tubes. This construction enables the launcher to be manufactured from lighter materials yet providing sufficient strength, durability, and reliability for numerous firings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken'away, of a rocket launcher embodying the improvements according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the launcher of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a rocket tube as indicated at the line 3 3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 3',

FIG. 5 is an end view as indicated by line 5 5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6 6 of'FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the left end of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a schematic of the electrical circuitry; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic end view of a nineteen round launcher constructed according to the present invention and showing the firing order.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The invention disclosure herein generally deals with improvements to a rocket launcher 10 shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The rocket launcher 10 consists generally of a cylindrical body 12 with an outer skin 17 encompassing a plurality of rocket tubes 18 supported by bulkheads. The forward bulkhead 30 only is shown in this view. The cylindrical body 12 is adapted to be attached to the aircraft by attachment lugs such as 13. During aerial carriage of rockets the rocket launcher is equipped with a nose fairing l4 and a tail fairing 16. Nose fairing 14 is broken away in FIG. 1 to show the rockets 15 in the tubes 18. The nose and tail fairings are designed to be frangible so that they do not interfere with rocket firing.

The rocket launcher 10 of FIG. 1 is shown in an end view in FIG. 5 revealing that this launcher carries 7 rounds. The details of the present invention are useable, however, on rocket launchers of larger or smaller capacity. At the top of the rocket launcher, under skin 17, is a longitudinal strongback 20 which is fastened to bulkheads 30 and by bolts 24, 26. Also shown in FIG. 5 are the rocket stop assembly 60 and the rocket contact assembly 50 in each of rockets tubes 18.

As shown in FIG. 2 the strongback 20 runs the full length of the rocket launcher and supports the rocket tubes 18 by means of a forward bulkhead 30 and an aft bulkhead 80. Both of bulkheads 30 and 80 are laminated (see detail, FIG. 7.) for better strength and reliability.

The rocket launcher according to the present invention has also been improved by the addition of a rocket detent stop member 45. The stop member 45 prevents distortion of the rocket detent member 40 when the detent member is deflected by rocket motor gases as the rocket leaves the launcher. The stop member 45 is so configured as to fit closely between or adjacent to other tubes, as shown in FIG. 6, effectively preventing any of the tubes from rotating within the group.

The rocket contact member 50 has been improved by mounting the rocket contact 52 on a pivot 56 so that it may move sufficiently to accommodate for small differences in the length of the rockets. A spring 58 is used to force the contact 52 against the rocket when loaded. All of the surfaces of body 54 have been tapered or rounded to minimize burning or caking caused by the products of combustion from fired rockets. The taper of the surfaces is also designed to deflect combustion gases away from the tip of contact 52 and the slot through tube 18.

The rocket stop fixture has been redesigned to have a portion 62 stepped from the barrel and jutting out toward the forward end so that deposited products of combustion will not prevent subsequent rockets from being positioned properly.

Improvements in the firing circuit are shown in FIG. 8 wherein the entire circuit is schematically shown at 90. The circuit 90 includes the intervalometer 91, selector switch 92, safety switch 93, and connector 94 which connects the rocket launcher with the usual cockpit switches (not shown). The solenoid switch 95 may be added when it is desired to change options from the cockpits.

Power for rocket ignition is supplied through terminal A of connector 94 but is effectively shut off by safety switch 93 in the position shown. Switch 93 is normally closed but is held in the position shown by a pin which is removed just prior to take off and in this position connects the firing circuit to ground potential.

In some applications, solenoid switch 95 is not in the circuit and only switch 92 on the launcher is used to determine whether the rounds are to be singly fired or fired in ripple mode. Without switch 95, however, the firing mode cannot be changed after take-off.

With switch 95 added to the circuit and switch 92 left in the position shown, the pilot can select ripple fire simply by energizing A or single fire by energizing B and then A.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contact assembly for a rocket launcher; said launcher including a rocket launcher tube having forward and rearward ends, said tube being adapted to hold a rocket and being provided with a window opening into its interior; said rocket including a rearwardly presented ignition cap adapted to be positioned adjacent said window; said contact assembly comprising a striker bracket on said tube and including two striker bracket arms, at least one striker bracket arm extending from said bracket and being positioned within the interior of said tube; a striker arm pivotally mounted to said bracket arm for swinging movement about an axis within said tube; said striker arm having an upper portion extending outside said tube and an inner portion within said tube; said inner portion positioned rearwardly of said ignition cap of said rocket; means for introducing electrical current to said striker arm; spring means yieldably urging said upper portion of said striker arm about said axis in a direction which causes said inner portion to be urged forwardly into positive electrical contact with said ibnition cap; said bracket arms being spaced from one another; said striker arm extending between said bracket arms; and an elongated spring guide slidably mounted on said bracket for sliding movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tube; said spring guide being hinged to said upper portion of said striker arm, whereby sliding movement of said spring guide causes said striker arm to pivot about said axis; said spring means being an elongated coil spring surrounding said spring guide.

2. An electrical contact assembly according to claim 1 wherein said spring guide includes a yoke having yoke arms, said upper portion of said striker being pivotally secured between said yoke arms.

3. A contact assembly according to claim 1 wherein said spring guide includes stop means adapted to limit the sliding movement of said spring guide with respect to said bracket and thereby to limit forward movement of said inner portion of said striker arm at an extreme forward position; detent means within said tube adapted to engage and hold said rocket in a predetermined position within said tube; said ignition cap engaging said inner portion and urging it rearwardly from its forward position when said rocket is in said predetermined position. 

1. An electrical contact assembly for a rocket launcher; said launcher including a rocket launcher tube having forward and rearward ends, said tube being adapted to hold a rocket and being provided with a window opening into its interior; said rocket including a rearwardly presented ignition cap adapted to be positioned adjacent said window; said contact assembly comprising a striker bracket on said tube and including two striker bracket arms, at least one striker bracket arm extending from said bracket and being positioned within the interior of said tube; a striker arm pivotally mounted to said bracket arm for swinging movement about an axis within said tube; said striker arm having an upper portion extending outside said tube and an inner portion within said tube; said inner portion positioned rearwardly of said ignition cap of said rocket; means for introducing electrical current to said striker arm; spring means yieldably urging said upper portion of said striker arm about said axis in a direction which causes said inner portion to be urged forwardly into positive electrical contact with said ibnition cap; said bracket arms being spaced from one another; said striker arm extending between said bracket arms; and an elongated spring guide slidably mounted on said bracket for sliding movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tube; said spring guide being hinged to said upper portion of said striker arm, whereby sliding movement of said spring guide causes said striker arm to pivot about said axis; said spring means being an elongated coil spring surrounding said spring guide.
 1. An electrical contact assembly for a rocket launcher; said launcher including a rocket launcher tube having forward and rearward ends, said tube being adapted to hold a rocket and being provided with a window opening into its interior; said rocket including a rearwardly presented ignition cap adapted to be positioned adjacent said window; said contact assembly comprising a striker bracket on said tube and including two striker bracket arms, at least one striker bracket arm extending from said bracket and being positioned within the interior of said tube; a striker arm pivotally mounted to said bracket arm for swinging movement about an axis within said tube; said striker arm having an upper portion extending outside said tube and an inner portion within said tube; said inner portion positioned rearwardly of said ignition cap of said rocket; means for introducing electrical current to said striker arm; spring means yieldably urging said upper portion of said striker arm about said axis in a direction which causes said inner portion to be urged forwardly into positive electrical contact with said ibnition cap; said bracket arms being spaced from one another; said striker arm extending between said bracket arms; and an elongated spring guide slidably mounted on said bracket for sliding movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tube; said spring guide being hinged to said upper portion of said striker arm, whereby sliding movement of said spring guide causes said striker arm to pivot about said axis; said spring means being an elongated coil spring surrounding said spring guide.
 2. An electrical contact assembly according to claim 1 wherein said spring guide includes a yoke having yoke arms, said upper portion of said striker being pivotally secured between said yoke arms. 